AEW Full Gear 2025 took over the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, with a night of high drama, surprise returns, and title shakeups that left fans buzzing long after the final bell. The seventh edition of this annual spectacle delivered nine main card matches, five championship bouts, and a few unforgettable moments that will surely ripple through the All Elite Wrestling landscape for months to come.
In the main event, the steel cage loomed large as "Hangman" Adam Page defended his AEW World Championship against the ever-dangerous Samoa Joe. The match was every bit as brutal as fans expected, with both men shedding blood and neither giving an inch. Early on, Joe targeted Hangman’s taped ribs, a lingering injury that would haunt the champion throughout the contest. Page, fighting in his trademark cowboy boots, countered Joe’s offense with a moonsault and even weaponized his own boot in a desperate bid to keep his title.
But the turning point came in a flurry of chaos. With referee Paul Turner downed after a collision, interference became inevitable. Powerhouse Hobbs ripped the cage door open, only to be dispatched by Hangman. Then, in a shocking twist, Hook ran in—seemingly to help Page. Instead, he revealed his allegiance to The Opps by smashing the AEW World Title into Hangman's face. Samoa Joe seized the moment, delivering a devastating Muscle Buster onto the championship belt for the pin. Just like that, Samoa Joe became a two-time AEW World Champion.
The drama didn’t end with the three-count. As Joe and his allies celebrated, the lights went out. A video of a burning house flashed on the screens, and Prince Nana appeared to herald the return of Swerve Strickland. The Newark crowd erupted as Strickland stormed the ring, single-handedly dismantling members of The Opps Dojo. In a remarkable scene, Hangman Page—fresh from defeat—stood shoulder-to-shoulder with his longtime rival, Swerve, both men staring down Joe and his crew. The enemy of my enemy is, at least for now, a friend. It was a closing image that set the stage for the next chapter in AEW’s ongoing saga.
Elsewhere on the card, the AEW Women’s World Championship was contested in a thrilling showdown between defending champion Kris Statlander and the ever-ambitious Mercedes Moné, who entered with her impressive collection of 13 titles. Statlander, still nursing an arm injury, refused to let history repeat itself after falling to Moné at the previous year’s Full Gear. The two traded high-impact moves and near-falls, with Moné targeting Statlander’s damaged arm at every opportunity. But when it mattered most, Statlander countered the Moné Maker and hit her signature Night Fever to retain the title. This win not only avenged her prior loss but also cemented Statlander’s place atop the women’s division with her 82nd victory—an AEW women’s record.
The tag team division saw its own shakeup as FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) challenged Brodido (Bandido and Brody King) for the AEW World Tag Team Championships. The match was a showcase of styles—FTR’s old-school grit against Brodido’s blend of power and lucha libre agility. After a series of wild double-team moves and dramatic near-falls, FTR finally connected with the Shatter Machine to secure the pin and become three-time AEW World Tag Team Champions, tying the record for most reigns in company history.
High stakes were on the line in the $1,000,000 Trios Match, where The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) teamed with Josh Alexander to face Kenny Omega and Jurassic Express (Jack Perry and Luchasaurus). The action was fast and furious, with each team pulling out all the stops for the massive cash prize. Ultimately, the Bucks and Alexander emerged victorious, but the real story came after the match. The Young Bucks, long estranged from Omega, reunited with their former Elite partner in a heartfelt embrace, signaling a potential return of one of AEW’s most beloved factions.
The night also crowned a new inaugural champion. Ricochet, recently signed to AEW, survived a grueling Casino Gauntlet match featuring 12 competitors—including the likes of Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, Claudio Castagnoli, and Orange Cassidy—to become the first-ever AEW National Champion. Ricochet’s victory came after pinning Kevin Knight with his signature Spirit Gun, and the celebration was on as The Demand stable finally claimed their first gold in AEW.
Other notable matches included Mark Briscoe’s emotional and violent victory over Kyle Fletcher in a No DQ TNT Championship match, giving Briscoe his first AEW singles title and sparing him from joining the Don Callis Family. Kyle O’Reilly scored a career-defining win over Jon Moxley in a No Holds Barred match, forcing Moxley to tap out for the second time in 10 days—a rare feat in AEW lore. PAC opened the main card with a hard-fought submission win over Darby Allin, who was still recovering from burns suffered at Blood & Guts, and Timeless Love Bombs (Toni Storm and Mina Shirakawa) earned the right to choose the stipulation for their AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship Semifinal match by outlasting three other teams.
The Zero Hour Tailgate Brawl pre-show set the tone for the night, featuring wild multi-team contests and a CMLL World Trios Championship defense by El Sky Team against The Don Callis Family. The Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson and Austin Gunn) walked away $200,000 richer after their victory in a four-way tag match, while Eddie Kingston and Hook kept their undefeated streak alive in tag team action.
The seventh edition of Full Gear was more than just another pay-per-view—it was a pivotal night for AEW’s long-term storytelling. With Samoa Joe back on top, Swerve Strickland’s return, and new champions crowned across multiple divisions, the road to the Continental Classic and beyond looks more exciting than ever. Fans left Newark with plenty to debate, whether it’s the future of The Elite, the fallout from Hook’s betrayal, or the next move for Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland.
As AEW sets its sights on the upcoming Continental Classic and the fallout from Full Gear, it’s clear that the company continues to raise the bar for professional wrestling storytelling and in-ring action. If this event is any indication, the best may still be yet to come.
